Deuteronomy 20
1 “When your [soldiers] go to fight your enemies, and you see that they have many horses and chariots and that their army is much bigger than yours, do not be afraid of them, because Yahweh our God, who brought your [ancestors safely] out of Egypt, will be with you.
Sɛ mokɔ ɔko de tia mo atamfo na muhu apɔnkɔ ne nteaseɛnam ne asraafo a wɔdɔɔso sen mo a, munnsuro wɔn, efisɛ Awurade, mo Nyankopɔn no, a oyii mo fii Misraim no bɛka mo ho.
2 When you are ready to start the battle, the Supreme Priest must stand in front of the troops.
Sɛ morebɛkɔ ɔko a, ɔsɔfo no bɛba abɛkasa akyerɛ asraafo no.
3 He must say to them, ‘You Israeli men, listen to me! Today you are going to fight against your enemies. Do not be timid or afraid [DOU] or tremble or panic [DOU],
Ɔbɛka se, “Muntie me, mo Israel mmarima! Nnɛ, morekɔ ɔsa atia mo atamfo. Mommma mo koma ntutu! Mommma mo aba mu mmu na momma mo ho mpopo.
4 because Yahweh our God will go with you. He will fight your enemies for you, and he will enable you to defeat them.’
Na Awurade, mo Nyankopɔn no, na ɔne mo rekɔ. Ɔbɛko atia mo atamfo no ama moadi nkonim.”
5 Then the army officers must say to the troops, ‘If anyone among you has just built a new house [RHQ] and has not dedicated it [to God], he should go home [and dedicate the house]. If he does not do that, if he dies in the battle, someone else will dedicate the house [and live in it].
Asraafo mpanyimfo no bebisa asraafo no se, “Mo mu bi asi ɔdan foforo a ɔntenaa mu da? Onii no nsan nkɔ fie! Ebia na wɔakum no wɔ ɔko no mu na ama obi akɔtena mu.
6 If anyone among you has planted a vineyard and has not yet harvested any grapes from it [RHQ], he should go home. If he [stays here and] dies in the battle, someone else will [harvest the grapes and] enjoy [the wine made from them].
Obi wɔ ha a wadɔw bobeturo na onnidii mu da? Onii no nsan nkɔ fie! Ebia na wɔakum no wɔ ɔko no mu na ama obi akodidi mu.
7 If anyone among you has become engaged to marry a woman [but has not married her yet] [RHQ], he should go home. If [he stays here and] dies in the battle, someone else will marry her.’
Obi wɔ ha a ɔne ɔbea bi akasa nanso ɔwaree no ana? Onii no nsan nkɔ fie! Ebia na wɔakum no wɔ ɔko no mu na ama obi akɔware no.”
8 “Then the officers must also say, ‘If anyone among you is afraid or timid [RHQ], he should go home, in order that he does not cause his fellow soldiers to also stop being courageous.’
Afei, mpanyimfo no bɛkɔ so abisa se, “So mo mu bi suro anaa ne koma atu ana? Ɛno de, ɔnkɔ fie sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a, ne nuabarimanom nso koma rentu.”
9 And when the officers have finished speaking to the troops, they must appoint commanders [to lead the groups of soldiers].
Sɛ mpanyimfo no wie asraafo no kasakyerɛ a, afei wɔbɛpaw asahene adeda wɔn ano.
10 “When you come near a city [that is far away] to attack it, first tell the people there that if they surrender, you will not attack them.
Sɛ mudu kurow bi mu a mo ne wɔn nni kan nka asomdwoesɛm.
11 If they open the gates of the city and surrender, they all will become your slaves to work for you.
Sɛ wɔpene mo nhyehyɛe so na wobue wɔn apon ma mo a, mobɛhyɛ nnipa a wɔwɔ mu no nyinaa ama wɔayɛ adwumaden ama mo.
12 But if they refuse to [surrender] peacefully, and decide instead to fight against you, your troops must surround the city [and break through the walls].
Na sɛ wɔampene asomdwoe nhyehyɛe no so na sɛ wose wɔne mo bɛko a, ɛno de, montow nhyɛ kurow no so.
13 Then, when Yahweh our God enables you to capture [IDM] the city, you must kill all the men in the city.
Sɛ Awurade, mo Nyankopɔn no, dan kurow no hyɛ mo nsa a, munkum kurow no mu mmarima nyinaa.
14 But you are allowed to take for yourselves the women, the children, the livestock, and everything else [that you want to take] from the city. You will be allowed to enjoy all the things that belonged to your enemies; it is Yahweh our God who has given those things to you.
Ɛyɛ a momfa kurow no mu mmea, mmofra, nyɛmmoa ne asade a aka nyinaa sɛ agyapade. Mubetumi de mo atamfo no asade a Awurade, mo Nyankopɔn no, de bɛma mo no ayɛ mo ade.
15 You should do that in all the cities that are far from the land in which you will settle.
Eyi ne ɔkwan a ɛsɛ sɛ mode nkuropɔn a ɛwɔ akyiri na wɔnyɛ aman a ɛbemmɛn no fa so.
16 “But in the cities that are in the land that Yahweh our God is giving to you, you must kill all the people and all the animals [LIT].
Na amanaman nkuropɔn a Awurade, mo Nyankopɔn no, de rema mo sɛ agyapade no de, monsɛe biribiara a nkwa wɔ mu wɔ hɔ.
17 You must get rid of them completely. Get rid of the Heth people-group, the Amor people-group, the Canaan people-group, the Periz people-group, the Hiv people-group, and the Jebus people-group; that is what Yahweh our God commanded you to do.
Monsɛe Hetifo, Amorifo, Kanaanfo, Perisifo, Hewifo ne Yebusifo no pasaa sɛnea Awurade, mo Nyankopɔn no, ahyɛ mo no.
18 If you do not do that, they will teach you to sin against Yahweh our God and do the disgusting things that they do when they worship their gods.
Sɛ ɛba saa a, ɛremma nnipa a wɔte asase no so no nkyerɛ mo akyiwade a wɔyɛ wɔ wɔn abosonsom ho amma mo anyɛ bɔne antia Awurade, mo Nyankopɔn no.
19 “When you surround a city for a long time, trying to capture it, do not cut down the fruit trees [outside the city]. You are allowed to eat the fruit from the trees, but do not get rid of the trees, because they certainly are not [RHQ] your enemies.
Sɛ motua kuropɔn bi ano kyɛ, a moreko afa kurow no a, mommfa abonnua ntwitwa mu nnua nsɛe no. Efisɛ mubetumi adi nʼaba. Munntwitwa nnua no ngu. Nnua no nyɛ atamfo a ɛsɛ sɛ motow hyɛ so!
20 You are permitted to cut down the other trees and use the wood to make ladders and towers to enable you to [go over the walls and] capture the city.”
Nanso mutumi twa nnua a munim sɛ ɛnyɛ aduan; na momfa nyɛ ade a ɛho behia mo sɛ mode bɛboa atua kurow a mo ne wɔn reko no ano akosi sɛ mubedi so.
